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Ontogenetic depth is a pseudoscientific idea proposed in February 2003 by Paul Nelson, an American philosopher of science, young Earth creationist and intelligent design advocate;[1] he is employed by the Discovery Institute.
Basically, Nelson concludes in his 'hypothesis' that developmental complexity is infrangible, and that if he shows Cambrian organisms to be complex, then it is therefore impossible for them to have evolved.[2][3] Nelson proposes 'ontogenetic depth' as evidence of specified complexity, and a reliable marker of design by an intelligent agent, in opposition to modern evolutionary theory.
Nelson subsequently stated that ontogenetic depth is "Currently Impossible to Measure".[4]
- ^ Numbers, Ronald L. (2006). The creationists: from scientific creationism to intelligent design. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. p. 606. ISBN 0-674-02339-0.
- ^ Nelson, Paul A.; Ross, Marcus (5 February 2003), "Ontogenetic Depth and the Origin of Animals" (PDF), ISCID Online Biology Chat Discussion Paper, retrieved 2011-03-27
- ^ Paul Nelson (2003). "Ontogenetic Depth". ISCID Encyclopedia of Science and philosophy. Archived from the original on 2011-05-14. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ Paul Nelson takes a stab at Ontogenetic Depth again…which makes me go stab-stab-stabbity-stab Archived 2014-04-08 at the Wayback Machine, by PZ Myers, at Pharyngula; published April 10, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2014